Skulduggery Pleasant: Origins of Darkness
by Satsuma Joe
Summary: A prequal to the Skulduggery Pleasant Series.A terrifying war is about to start between good and evil, but who will win.And what fate awaits Skulduggery and his family.I am afraid you will have to read to find out what happens.
1. A Vile Begining

**The man sat there unconscious. He was tied to a chair in a dark room, but this darkness was surreal, it was like the darkness was alive. The man came around but was still confused. He struggled to remember the events from the night before. Then small sections faded into his memory. He was in a battlefield surrounded by explosions and flashing lights. People all around him fell to their deaths, falling victim to hell. Then he remembered something, something that had been hidden at the back of his mind. One man, just one man had caused all this horror and death. One man, with one name, the name that made the strongest of men quiver in fear. That name was... VILE to be exact. A sorcerer with immense power. A coldblooded killer.**

**He heard a door open and heavy, bounding footsteps travel round the very chair he was sat on. A light flickered on.**

**"So we finally meet Mr Pure." said Lord Vile in a deep, croaky voice.**

**"Why am I here, why do you need me Vile?" Mr Pure whimpered**

**"Oh, don't worry Mr Pure I will not hurt you, but my young apprentice...well, I can't promise anything." Vile said with a snigger.**

**A young boy, probably in his mid-teens, stepped through the door. He was holding a grenade. Mr Pure shrieked as the pin dropped to the ground.**


	2. The First Job

**Skulduggery Pleasant was a young man in his early forties, a beautiful pregnant wife waiting at home and also a brilliant sorcerer. He wore a pin-striped three piece suit with a long coat. He was a very attractive man, with short chestnut coloured hair that brought out his pale skin like a dead tulip in a flowerbed. He may have been young but he was about to enter a whole new world. That world was adulthood. A terrifying concept that all children fear when growing up. He had a baby on the way, a wife and now it was time to get serious. **

**Skulduggery had just accepted a job at the Sanctuary working as a detective. His first mission was to arrest a man who broke into people's houses, stole everything they owned then burnt down their houses, with the victims burning inside. They had a lead; his name was Liam Torch, appropriate name. Skulduggery waited in the shadows, it was around midnight in the small town of Haggard. He liked it here and thought about coming back one day. He heard voices across the road. He stepped back further into the shadows as the two men walked towards him, unaware that Skulduggery was waiting. He looked at the photo of Liam. It was the same man. He still did not know who the other man was but that didn't matter, he was after Liam and that was all that mattered. When Liam was close enough, Skulduggery sprang out and kicked Liam square in the jaw. Liam fell to the ground but managed to send a fireball hurtling at Skulduggery's chest. But Skulduggery ended the battle quickly with a punch to the stomach.**

**"Liam Torch, you are under arrest for burglary, arson, murder and being a total nightmare to find." Skulduggery said smugly.**

**"You can't arrest me, I'm innocent I tell you, INNOCENT!" cried Liam.**

"**Save it for the judge, oh wait, I am the judge!" said Skulduggery as he threw Liam into the back of his brand new Bentley that he had bought earlier that day and drove off into the night.**


	3. Meet The Pleasants

**Vile and the young boy had survived the explosion by the skin of their teeth. And sadly for them so had Mr Pure. He had escaped the remains of the small house. Mr Pure had run through a large, dark wood. But the impact of the explosion had weakened him; he had been running for hours on end. He needed to stop. He needed to rest. Yet he knew that if he stopped now they would catch up with him. But his body took control; it slowed down, slower and slower and slower until his body stopped entirely. He fell to the ground. Dead.**

**Skulduggery dropped Liam of at the Sanctuary then headed home to find that Mercy had gone to bed. Mercy Pleasant was Skulduggery's heavily pregnant wife. She was a beautiful woman with long, flowing blonde hair and a smile that could make anyone happy. She brought out the best in Skulduggery; she was the one person who could stop him from being violent. The one person who could put a smile on his face. But all this was about to change.**

**Five Years Later**

**Skulduggery was a father. He had been a father for about four and a half years now. Sebastian Pleasant was very talented for his age. He was already producing flames here and there. Sebastian had his mother's blonde hair but his father's pale skin. Skulduggery had just received a call from the new Grande Mage, Meritorious that sounded very important. You could feel the fear in his voice. He waved goodbye to Mercy and Sebastian and drove of to the Sanctuary. The Elder Council sat around the table waiting for Skulduggery. He burst through the door and sat down. Everyone was staring at him.**

"**Sorry I'm late Sir, what's up?" said Skulduggery.**

"**I am afraid to announce that we are now at war with Vile and his army" Meritorious said quietly.**

"**What, when, where and how? This is impossible!" Skulduggery shouted.**

"**He declared it to us this morning; he wants to go to war with us. He says that we have reined over this magical kingdom for far too long and that it's time he took control." Meritorious explained. There was a short pause.**

"**Well then, we go to war. We fight with pride and we fight to the death. If we win they stay away from us for the rest of eternity and if they win we leave and they take over." Skulduggery said**

"**What? That's crazy! We can't go to war, we are not ready. They will win!" Meritorious argued.**

"**Wait, the boy might have a point. If we go to war with them there is a 50/50 chance that we could win. We could beat them and then we could have them out of our hair forever!" said Sagacious Tome, the youngest of the new Elders.**

"**My exact point. "said Skulduggery smugly.**

"**No, we will not send the magical community into a war!"Said Meritorious, with anger in his voice.**

"**Yes." said Skulduggery**

"**No!"**

"**Yes!"**

"**NO!"**

"**YES!"**

"**Wait, wait. Let me just think about this for a second." There was a long pause.**

"**OK, we will warn everyone. Tell every Sanctuary all over the world to prepare for a war. We will get all Cleavers on red alert. We are going to war."**


	4. The War Of Two Worlds

** Skulduggery Pleasant:Origins of Darkness **

**The man sat there unconscious****.**** He was tied to a chair in a dark room, but this darkness was surreal, it was like the darkness was alive. The man came around but was still confused. He struggled to remember the events from the night before. Then small sections faded into his memory. He was in a battlefield surrounded by explosions and flashing lights. People all around him fell to their deaths, falling victim to hell. Then he remembered something, something that had been hidden at the back of his mind. One man, just one man had caused all this horror and death. One man, with one name, the name that made the strongest of men quiver in fear. That name was... VILE to be exact. A sorcerer with immense power. A coldblooded killer.**

**He heard a door open and heavy, bounding footsteps travel round the very chair he was sat on. A light flickered on.**

**"So we finally meet Mr Pure." said Lord Vile in a deep, croaky voice.**

**"Why am I here, why do you need me Vile?" Mr Pure whimpered**

**"Oh, don't worry Mr Pure I will not hurt you, but my young apprentice...well, I can't promise anything." Vile said with a snigger.**

**A young boy, probably in his mid-teens, stepped through the door. He was holding a grenade. Mr Pure shrieked as the pin dropped to the ground.**

**Skulduggery Pleasant was a young man in his early forties, a beautiful pregnant wife waiting at home and also a brilliant sorcerer. He wore a pin-striped three piece suit with a long coat. He was a very attractive man, with short chestnut coloured hair that brought out his pale skin like a dead tulip in a flowerbed. He may have been young but he was about to enter a whole new world. That world was adulthood. A terrifying concept that all children fear when growing up. He had a baby on the way, a wife and now it was time to get serious. **

**Skulduggery had just accepted a job at the Sanctuary working as a detective. His first mission was to arrest a man who broke into people's houses, stole everything they owned then burnt down their houses, with the victims burning inside. They had a lead; his name was Liam Torch, appropriate name. Skulduggery waited in the shadows, it was around midnight in the small town of Haggard. He liked it here and thought about coming back one day. He heard voices across the road. He stepped back further into the shadows as the two men walked towards him, unaware that Skulduggery was waiting. He looked at the photo of Liam. It was the same man. He still did not know who the other man was but that didn't matter, he was after Liam and that was all that mattered. When Liam was close enough, Skulduggery sprang out and kicked Liam square in the jaw. Liam fell to the ground but managed to send a fireball hurtling at Skulduggery's chest. But Skulduggery ended the battle quickly with a punch to the stomach.**

**"Liam Torch, you are under arrest for burglary, arson, murder and being a total nightmare to find." Skulduggery said smugly.**

**"You can't arrest me, I'm innocent I tell you, INNOCENT!" cried Liam.**

"**Save it for the judge, oh wait, I am the judge!" said Skulduggery as he threw Liam into the back of his brand new Bentley that he had bought earlier that day and drove off into the night.**

**Vile and the young boy had survived the explosion by the skin of their teeth. And sadly for them so had Mr Pure. He had escaped the remains of the small house. Mr Pure had run through a large, dark wood. But the impact of the explosion had weakened him; he had been running for hours on end. He needed to stop. He needed to rest. Yet he knew that if he stopped now they would catch up with him. But his body took control; it slowed down, slower and slower and slower until his body stopped entirely. He fell to the ground. Dead.**

**Skulduggery dropped Liam of at the Sanctuary then headed home to find that Mercy had gone to bed. Mercy Pleasant was Skulduggery's heavily pregnant wife. She was a beautiful woman with long, flowing blonde hair and a smile that could make anyone happy. She brought out the best in Skulduggery; she was the one person who could stop him from being violent. The one person who could put a smile on his face. But all this was about to change.**

**Five Years Later**

**Skulduggery was a father. He had been a father for about four and a half years now. Sebastian Pleasant was very talented for his age. He was already producing flames here and there. Sebastian had his mother's blonde hair but his father's pale skin. Skulduggery had just received a call from the new Grande Mage, Meritorious that sounded very important. You could feel the fear in his voice. He waved goodbye to Mercy and Sebastian and drove of to the Sanctuary. The Elder Council sat around the table waiting for Skulduggery. He burst through the door and sat down. Everyone was staring at him.**

"**Sorry I'm late Sir, what's up?" said Skulduggery.**

"**I am afraid to announce that we are now at war with Vile and his army" Meritorious said quietly.**

"**What, when, where and how? This is impossible!" Skulduggery shouted.**

"**He declared it to us this morning; he wants to go to war with us. He says that we have reined over this magical kingdom for far too long and that it's time he took control." Meritorious explained. There was a short pause.**

"**Well then, we go to war. We fight with pride and we fight to the death. If we win they stay away from us for the rest of eternity and if they win we leave and they take over." Skulduggery said**

"**What? That's crazy! We can't go to war, we are not ready. They will win!" Meritorious argued.**

"**Wait, the boy might have a point. If we go to war with them there is a 50/50 chance that we could win. We could beat them and then we could have them out of our hair forever!" said Sagacious Tome, the youngest of the new Elders.**

"**My exact point. "said Skulduggery smugly.**

"**No, we will not send the magical community into a war!"Said Meritorious, with anger in his voice.**

"**Yes." said Skulduggery**

"**No!"**

"**Yes!"**

"**NO!"**

"**YES!"**

"**Wait, wait. Let me just think about this for a second." There was a long pause.**

"**OK, we will warn everyone. Tell every Sanctuary all over the world to prepare for a war. We will get all Cleavers on red alert. We are going to war."**

**Vile's plan had worked. They were going to war with the Elder Council and they were going to win. He had the ultimate weapon to destroy them, and not just them, anyone who got in his way. Years ago, he had made this indestructible armour powered by the shear force of darkness. He had developed it in case of grave circumstances. Now was that time. He put the armour on. It shifted until it fitted its wearer perfectly. His army was ready. The first wave of fighters was a swarm of Hollow Men. They lined up in their thousands, row by row. If they failed the second wave would move in. The vampires. There would be even more of these deadly creatures, lead by a young vampire called Dusk. The third wave would move in at the same time as the vampires. Hundreds and thousands of dark sorcerers lead by Lord Vile himself with his right-hand man. The young boy was now a young man. Vile had trained him to become dark and evil. They were a perfect team. His name was Nefarian Serpine. They were ready to go to war.**

**Meritorious' plan had worked. Vile thought he was only fighting against the Irish Elder Council. But little did he now that he was about to fight against every Elder Council on the Earth! They may only have one wave of fighters, but it was a big wave. Millions of sorcerers from all over the world had come to fight. They were lead by Skulduggery, Eachan Meritorious, Morwenna Crow, Sagacious Tome and two siblings called China Sorrows and Mr Bliss. They were ready to go to war.**

**The battlefield was a very large grassed area that had been protected by numerous spells and enchantments to make it invisible to the untrained eye. Everything was ready for the battle.**

"**Prepare your weapons, three...two...one... Charge!" screamed Vile.**

**The two sides ran at each other with guns firing and explosions of light flooding the area around them. The darkness poured out of Vile's armour, hitting anyone it could find. As the other sorcerers tried to dodge Vile's attacks, Skulduggery ran straight at him firing bullet after bullet at his face. But Vile was quick and used the darkness to swallow the bullets. Attacks swarmed over Vile but he was never affected. Vile was unstoppable.**

**The war raged on all night as the screams filled the night air. Soldiers fell to their doom on both sides whilst the survivors carried on fighting till the death. Skulduggery and the others were still fighting and so were Vile, Serpine and Dusk. Everyone kept on fighting until there were less than fifty fighters left on each team. The remaining fighters went back to their sides of the battlefield to discuss their strategy.**

"**Right, I will attack Vile from the front while the Elders go in from the back. Bliss, you go and destroy Dusk and the rest of the vampires while China goes and targets Serpine. And the rest of you, do anything you can to help." said Skulduggery in a lowered voice. The battle recommenced. Skulduggery charged into Vile. He threw hundreds of punches, but it only took one hard blow to the face to make him fall back. Then the Elders went in for the kill. They used all their might to destroy Vile. Their attacks were so fast Vile had no time to turn around and defend himself. He fell down onto one knee; Skulduggery walked towards him and slammed his fists down onto Vile's shoulders. He was out cold. **

**Bliss was struggling to take down all the vampires at once but he coped. A vampire jumped straight for him and he kicked it in the stomach and it flew backwards. The next attack was from behind as another vampire leaped onto his back. He tried to shake it of but it was holding on tight, determined to infect him. Bliss grabbed onto his neck and flipped the vampire over his head, smacking it onto the ground. Dusk was circling him, using his quick speed. Suddenly Dusk was in front of him throwing a punch. Bliss was sent hurtling off his feet and he fell to the ground. He quickly jumped to his feet and smacked his fists on the ground. The ground under Dusk's feet started to crack. Vines came up through the ground and wrapped around his arms and legs, they dragged his body underground. Bliss' work was done.**

**Serpine stepped over Vile's unconscious body and strolled over to Skulduggery who had his back turned. He put a gun to Skulduggery's head. Skulduggery turned around to find Serpine sniggering.**

"**Hello, Mr Pleasant, I am Nefarian Serpine, or you can call me 'your worst nightmare'."**

**Skulduggery kicked him in the groin and Serpine dropped the gun. Skulduggery picked it up and pointed it at Serpine's head. He glanced at China's body on the floor. She was still alive, just unconscious. But then next to it, in the shadows. They were feet. Mercy stepped out of the shadows carrying Sebastian in her arms. Serpine saw her then looked back at Skulduggery with a smirk on his face. He pulled out another gun from his pocket an aimed at Mercy. She froze entirely. Skulduggery got Serpine in a headlock and was screaming for him to put the gun down but he didn't listen and kept his aim on Mercy. Skulduggery was now shouting at Mercy to move out of the way. Serpine fired. The bullet slammed into Mercy's chest and her body fell to the ground. The second shot hit Sebastian in the head. Skulduggery ran over to them and cradled their cold, lifeless bodies in his arms, tears running down his face. Serpine was laughing. He aimed the gun one last time. It hit Skulduggery in the ribs. He fell to cold hard floor beneath him.**

**When Skulduggery awoke he was tied to a pole above a pile of sticks. Serpine was stood in front of him with a lighter in his hand.**

"**Death is a powerful thing, Mr Pleasant. It can make people go crazy" said Serpine, turning the flame on and off.**

"**But to me, it is like Christmas. It makes me all giddy. I just love to kill. And so for my final trick I shall burn my assistant, Mr Pleasant, alive!"**

"**Why didn't you just kill me there and then?" Skulduggery asked. He was getting frightened.**

"**Well that would be no fun. No fun at all. I want to see you die in pain. And with that I bid you, a due." Serpine threw the lighter onto the pile of sticks. In minutes Skulduggery was on fire, screaming in pain. Skulduggery could feel his soul trying to escape his body, but for some reason it wouldn't budge. It was attempting to leave his body but it couldn't. The pain Skulduggery was going through was excruciating. His skin was coming off now, he was turning to dust but he was still alive. Even when his organs set on fire he was still living. The only thing he could hear was Serpine laughing. About ten minutes later the flames died down, he pretended to be dead. Serpine examined the damage he had done. He seemed pleased with himself. He strolled of into the darkness. Once he was out of sight Skulduggery looked at himself. He was a skeleton. A living skeleton. This was impossible, how could he still be alive. He thought himself lucky. He had nothing. Mercy and Sebastian were dead and he was a skeleton. His clothes were still in tact thanks to a tailor he knew in Dublin. He untied himself and walked over to Bliss and the Elders. They were as shocked about what had happened as he was! An hour later it was dawn. The Cleavers had come to take away the dead and injured. Vile was also taken away to a prison somewhere. Everything was back to normal.**

**Skulduggery had made a promise to himself. He would clear this world of all evil. Being a skeleton would not get in the way of his job. And his job was to protect. And still to this day he saves the world on numerous occasions, but gets no thanks. He never asks for anything in return because to him it is not just a job, it is a way of life. He is Skulduggery Pleasant.**


	5. The Plan

**The war raged on all night as the screams filled the night air. Soldiers fell to their doom on both sides whilst the survivors carried on fighting till the death. Skulduggery and the others were still fighting and so were Vile, Serpine and Dusk. Everyone kept on fighting until there were less than fifty fighters left on each team. The remaining fighters went back to their sides of the battlefield to discuss their strategy.**

"**Right, I will attack Vile from the front while the Elders go in from the back. Bliss, you go and destroy Dusk and the rest of the vampires while China goes and targets Serpine. And the rest of you, do anything you can to help." said Skulduggery in a lowered voice. The battle recommenced. Skulduggery charged into Vile. He threw hundreds of punches, but it only took one hard blow to the face to make him fall back. Then the Elders went in for the kill. They used all their might to destroy Vile. Their attacks were so fast Vile had no time to turn around and defend himself. He fell down onto one knee; Skulduggery walked towards him and slammed his fists down onto Vile's shoulders. He was out cold. **

**Bliss was struggling to take down all the vampires at once but he coped. A vampire jumped straight for him and he kicked it in the stomach and it flew backwards. The next attack was from behind as another vampire leaped onto his back. He tried to shake it of but it was holding on tight, determined to infect him. Bliss grabbed onto his neck and flipped the vampire over his head, smacking it onto the ground. Dusk was circling him, using his quick speed. Suddenly Dusk was in front of him throwing a punch. Bliss was sent hurtling off his feet and he fell to the ground. He quickly jumped to his feet and smacked his fists on the ground. The ground under Dusk's feet started to crack. Vines came up through the ground and wrapped around his arms and legs, they dragged his body underground. Bliss' work was done.**


	6. The Final Battle

**Serpine stepped over Vile's unconscious body and strolled over to Skulduggery who had his back turned. He put a gun to Skulduggery's head. Skulduggery turned around to find Serpine sniggering.**

"**Hello, Mr Pleasant, I am Nefarian Serpine, or you can call me 'your worst nightmare'."**

**Skulduggery kicked him in the groin and Serpine dropped the gun. Skulduggery picked it up and pointed it at Serpine's head. He glanced at China's body on the floor. She was still alive, just unconscious. But then next to it, in the shadows. They were feet. Mercy stepped out of the shadows carrying Sebastian in her arms. Serpine saw her then looked back at Skulduggery with a smirk on his face. He pulled out another gun from his pocket an aimed at Mercy. She froze entirely. Skulduggery got Serpine in a headlock and was screaming for him to put the gun down but he didn't listen and kept his aim on Mercy. Skulduggery was now shouting at Mercy to move out of the way. Serpine fired. The bullet slammed into Mercy's chest and her body fell to the ground. The second shot hit Sebastian in the head. Skulduggery ran over to them and cradled their cold, lifeless bodies in his arms, tears running down his face. Serpine was laughing. He aimed the gun one last time. It hit Skulduggery in the ribs. He fell to cold hard floor beneath him.**

**When Skulduggery awoke he was tied to a pole above a pile of sticks. Serpine was stood in front of him with a lighter in his hand.**

"**Death is a powerful thing, Mr Pleasant. It can make people go crazy" said Serpine, turning the flame on and off.**

"**But to me, it is like Christmas. It makes me all giddy. I just love to kill. And so for my final trick I shall burn my assistant, Mr Pleasant, alive!"**

"**Why didn't you just kill me there and then?" Skulduggery asked. He was getting frightened.**

"**Well that would be no fun. No fun at all. I want to see you die in pain. And with that I bid you, a due." Serpine threw the lighter onto the pile of sticks. In minutes Skulduggery was on fire, screaming in pain. Skulduggery could feel his soul trying to escape his body, but for some reason it wouldn't budge. It was attempting to leave his body but it couldn't. The pain Skulduggery was going through was excruciating. His skin was coming off now, he was turning to dust but he was still alive. Even when his organs set on fire he was still living. The only thing he could hear was Serpine laughing. About ten minutes later the flames died down, he pretended to be dead. Serpine examined the damage he had done. He seemed pleased with himself. He strolled of into the darkness. Once he was out of sight Skulduggery looked at himself. He was a skeleton. A living skeleton. This was impossible, how could he still be alive. He thought himself lucky. He had nothing. Mercy and Sebastian were dead and he was a skeleton. His clothes were still in tact thanks to a tailor he knew in Dublin. He untied himself and walked over to Bliss and the Elders. They were as shocked about what had happened as he was! An hour later it was dawn. The Cleavers had come to take away the dead and injured. Vile was also taken away to a prison somewhere. Everything was back to normal.**

**Skulduggery had made a promise to himself. He would clear this world of all evil. Being a skeleton would not get in the way of his job. And his job was to protect. And still to this day he saves the world on numerous occasions, but gets no thanks. He never asks for anything in return because to him it is not just a job, it is a way of life. He is Skulduggery Pleasant.**


End file.
